From 2020 -- two aspiring hip-hop/rap youngsters listen to Dolly Parton's "Jolene" for the first time and totally get it.
I'm not sure who those kids are, or the provenance of the video; I discovered it over at Digby's Hullabaloo, (which, if you're not familiar with it, is primarily a lefty political blog that does occasional arts coverage), but the clip is absolutely inspirational and I just love those dudes.
In any case, this is proof, as one of the YouTube commenters notes, of what Quincy Jones famously observed -- there are just two kinds of music.
Good and bad.
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8 comments:
Rap and Hip Hop is bad.
Apparently you haven't seen HAMILTON.
Also, you bastid kids get off my lawn.
Speaking of Hamilton, I signed up for Disney+ (and then unsubscribed) to enable my wife and I to see Hamilton, which is wonderful, but even better because I've listened to the soundtrack numerous times.
I've also been fascinated with the snit-and-a-half over the accuracy of the story, and Miranda's failure (?) to note that Washington owned slaves, that Hamilton may have bought slaves for the Schuyler family, and that Hamilton's deal to move the country's capitol from New York to nowheresville (Washington) was a deal that gave the south greater legitimacy.
All legit points, of course, but still. Hamilton's not a textbook, Miranda's not Ron Chernow, and anyone who thinks Broadway musicals, historical or otherwise, are teaching history is, as my Mom would say, sadly mistaken.
And as far as Jolene goes, I've heard it one too many times, and I never liked it that much to begin with.
No, I haven't seen Hamilton. Don't wish to have a rap history lesson.
Dude -- it's a theatrical masterpiece. There hasn't been a Broadway musical that good since WEST SIDE STORY.
Hey, back to Jolene... It's SO refreshing that these young cats get into this. They get the groove, the hooks, the narrative and emotion, the high harmonies. How many pop/rock fans do you know who wouldn't give a Country classic a second's attention?
Word.
"This was a straight banger:" Never heard it put exactly that way before, but yeah, that's exactly what is is. Raw emoton impeccably crafted. As the kid on the left says, the lyrics pull you straight into the story, not just what's happening, but how emotionally shattering it is to be talking to the women who's fully capable of taking away the man you love with all your heart not because she wants him, just for the fun of winning. Not an ounce of fat that song and not a shred of showboating.
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